22 Oct Sucharita Paul, MD MPH: A 2025 Unsung Hero

Dr. Paul’s clinical experience, empathy, and consistency have been appreciated by our patients, medical providers, residents, and students for almost two decades. She has distinguished herself academically as a mentor, bedside teacher, administrative leader in the hospital/community and in research. A particular strength of hers is her attitude of “all is fine” despite the ever-changing ED challenges that develop. She is a constant for our group and is always ready to take on the shift and to take the APPs, residents and students with her. She is sought out by many to bounce ideas off of, and she truly listens to problems, be it personal or departmental, a very important counseling skill with a large group of ED staff.
Personally, she is someone that really cares about the wellness of the patient especially those with social determinants of health challenges, and she always goes the extra step. She obtained a MPH in 2017 to help her look more critically at the research necessary to improve health care in patients faced with inequities in medicine and in global health. She is our leader for geriatric care in the emergency department and is currently enrolled in a mentorship program for the National Collaboratory to Address Elder Mistreatment.
Dr. Paul is our department’s unsung hero for 2025.

Dr. Paul has a deep interest and has demonstrated making a positive difference in elevating the level of care for patients with social determinants of health challenges and those who face inequities in medicine.

Recipient Bio:
Sucharita Paul is an experienced emergency physician who has made community service, disease prevention, and public health education the center of her career and a focus of her volunteer work. She has practiced in clinical and academic settings for over 20 years and is currently an attending physician at Buffalo General Hospital Emergency Department and a clinical assistant professor with UBMD Emergency Medicine and the Jacobs School of Medicine. She has been involved in several public health initiatives and is currently leading efforts to identify and advocate for vulnerable older adult patients presenting to local emergency departments in western New York. She trains emergency medicine residents and also explores areas of public health including leadership/advocacy, global medicine, the opiate crisis, gun violence, health disparities and social determinants of health and inequities in medicine. She earned an MPH from the University of Buffalo. Her interest in serving disadvantaged and low-resource communities has led her to become involved in local and regional nonprofit philanthropic organizations as well as international emergency medicine efforts in Vietnam and India.

Dr. Paul’s previous and current board service includes: Health Foundation of Western and Central New York (HFWCNY), COVID-19 Working Group of Western New York, UBMD Emergency Medicine, the Carole Fenton Memorial Fund (founding member), and the City of Buffalo Emergency Medical Services Board.

– David M. Janicke, MD PhD